Magnetic clutch



March 15 1927.

- J. W. THROPP MAGNETIC CLUTCH- Filed Jfi 29, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 15 1927.

J. w. THROPP MAGNETIC CLUTCH Filed June 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 w wwww Patented Mar. '15, 1927.

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JosEPH-W. THE-OPP, 10F TnENToN, new JEnsEY.

, MAGNETIC env ron:

Application filed-Tune 29,1923. s rial no. 648,525,

My invention-relates. to power transmission systems, having particular relation to magnetic mechanisms designed for-inter-v connecting such systems.

g The invention is particularlyapplicable to a power transmission. system of the typeset forth in my co-pending application for power transmission system, Serial No. 731, 890, filed Aug. 13, 1924. 'In, the same application, I have, set forth and claimed the power transmission ,system' as an entirety, and it will be, understoodthat this present application relates particularly to. the magnetic clutch forming system. 7 c

One object of my invention is to provide a magnetic clutch, wherein the motion of the armature toward and away. from the field piece of the clutch, which obtains during the application and release ot the clutch mechanism, may be limited to a' prede'ter mined degree. f

A further .object'of my invention is to provide 'a gauge tester for indicating," at will, the air-gap betweenthe' relatively 'movable armature and field members, constituting elements. of the clutch mechanism.

Vith these and other objects 'and, appliications in View, my invention further consists in the nature,'the mode of operation, and the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the v accompanying drawings, wherein fFigJl is a'longitudi'nal sectional view of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the structure of Fig.1, a portion'of the powertransmitting member being broken away Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal'sectional view of one of the magnetic clutches shown in'FigJ 1,; the sectional plane being indicated by the line 'III1III of Fig; i;

V of Fig.6; and

V In the illustrated Fig. 4 is affront elevationalview of the structure ofFig. 3; l 1 Flg. 5 is a view snnilar to Fig. 3', but

showing an alternative construction, the

sectional plane being taken on the line Fig. 6 is a front elevational View of {the structure of Fig. 5. form of embodiment of 'my invention, shown in the drawing, age wheel or so-lcalled .power-itransmission mechanism l'is provided with aweb2 and a hub 3, the latter being loosely mounted a, shaft 4. Inmate ispros in ed a; part or the same with a complementarily arranged web por' r 7 tion, 5 having a hub, portion 5? in axial align.- ment with the driving shaft 4;; vThe web port-ion 5' is secured, at theperi'pheral edge thereof, to a flange portion 6 extending from saidweb space 7; c Y

A gear-wheel 8 is positioned in the annuilar space 7 and it is rigidly secured to the driving shaft 4 through a. key Aiplnportion 2 forming a closed annular rality of pinions '11 are provided with trun} locking the pinions 11 and effecting, will,

the interconnection, of the driving shaft 4:

and the power-transmitting. element 1 ,co1nfpris ng a magnetic clutch mechanism 14. The magnetic clutch'mechanism 14, com;-

prises a field 1nember'1-5, which ismounted about a projectingshaft portion 16, of the trunnion 12 and secured to the webj5, a longitudinally movablearmature member 17' carried on the end of said shaft portion 16 and adapted to effect the locking of the pinions 11, all as I hereinafter more, tnlly described. 'f f I i The field member l5 comprises' an annular magnetizable basemembei' 1S l iaving perforated"lug-portions 191 providing for the securing oi the same'to the web 5 by screw bolts." The. base portion 18'is further provided with projecting annular flanges21 and 22 forming. spaced inner and outer cylinders, the projecting shaft'portion16 of the 1 trunnion '12exte'nding through the inner cylinder 21 anda magnetizing winding 23 having terminal'connections Zetand 25. positioned in said annular space. Y Theyfree ends Of the Cylindrical nge 21; and 221mm alignment and constitute a so -called p ole face 26. The sides oftlie 'magnetizing coil 23, immediat ly; adjacent to the poleta'ce 26, may be prote ted a non magneti'zable The armature'member '17, whichis provided with a surface 28 co-extensive with that of the pole face 26, may be slidably mounted on the end of the projecting shaft portion 16 for motion to and from the pole face 26, by cutting the shaft in the form" of V contacting armature surface.

a hexagon and correspondingly forming the The adjacent armature and pole surfaces 26 and 28,: respectively, may be normally forcedapart by means of a spring member 29 concentrically mounted about the projecting shaft ceivea pair of nuts31 which are designed to prevent the spring 29 from forcing the armature 17 off the projecting shaft portion The bearing for the trunnion 12 whichis formed in the end plate 5, comprises a bearing element 82 constituting an abutment, a packing 83, a packing ring 84 and clamping and locking nuts 85 and 36, respectively,

which aresecured in threaded engagement with a threaded cylindrical surface 37 of the flange 21. An element 38 may be employed to space the clamping and locking nuts 35 and 36, respectively.

'Inpractical operation, I have observed that it is highly desirable to prevent the armature surface 28 from contacting with the pole face 26, inasmuch as the armature member 17 becomes magnetized and thereby decreases the magnetic force between the fieldand armature members 15 and 17, respectively. This difliculty has been overcome in my invention by providing a plurality of spaced pins 39 of brass or other non-magnetizable material in the armature surface 28. r

I have further found that it is very important, at times, to ascertain the extent of the air-gap between the pole face 26 and the armature face 28, and in Fig. 3 is shown one arrangement for accomplishing the same, wherein the armature member 17 is provided with a perforation 41, which extends frorn'a portion of; the armature face '28 preferably opposite the end of one of the concentric cylinders, say 21, to the outer side thereof, the perforation 41 being'restricted nearthe outer side to' provide a shoulder portion 42. A gauge pin 48'having a""shoulder portion 44 engaging the shoulder 42 and also having a handle portion 45, which extends beyond the'outer side of the armature member 17 is resilientlyheld in the position just specified by means of a spring member 46 having one end engaging the gauge-pin shoulder44 and'the othe'r end engaging a member 47 secured in threaded engagement with the inner surface of the armature perforation 41, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In operation. the

air-gap between the pole face 26 and the 7 adjacent armature face 28 is determined by observing the distance which 1t 15 necessary to move the gauge pin 43 before it contacts with the pole face '26.

The threaded engagement of the members 48 and '17 provides for such adjustment of the contacting surfacesof the clutch mechanism as may be desired. The clutch ele- The cylin- V ment 48 may be locked to the armature member 17 in certain predetermined'positions by providing the armature 17 with an outwardly extending flange 52 having transversely extended slots 53, and by providing the member 48 with an inwardly extending to V flange 54 having complementarily arranged slots55 for key members 56. Thekey members 56 may be removably. secured in position bymeans of screw members 57 extend 'ing through 'thesame and engaging threaded holes in thearmature member 17. Thus one of the elements is carried by the armature member 17, while the other is mounted in fixed relation to the'magn'et,.so that both lUO elements will be located outside of thcfield of magnetic action,

In operation, whenenergy is supplied to the magnetizing winding 28 of the magnetic clutch 14, the cooperating clutch surfaces,

which are normally held out of frictional engagement by the force of the spring 29, are actuated into frictional engagement with one another'by the force of attraction be tween the field member 15 and the ari'rature member 17, thereby resulting in the'locking ofthe projecting portion 16 of the'pinion trunnion 12 and the field piece 15.

Currents may be, supplied to the conductors 24and 25. which are connected to the magnetizing winding 23, through a pair of stationary contact elements 58 and 59, Fig. 1., which cooperate with slip-ring elements 61 and 62','respectively. The stationary contact elements 58 and 59 are rigidly secured to a stationary cylindrical casingfigha-ving one 9 end thereof forming a journal box 64' The slip rings 61 and 62 are carried by a shaft b5h aving one end journaled in the bearing box .64 andtheot-her end secured to the hub portion .6 of the web plate 5.

In the operation of the ,power-transmission system shown in the drawings, when trainee the magnetizing. winding 23, is deenergiz ed and; the frictional contacting surfaces of utch mec a sm ar he d; ou at en e t bya he orce e pr n 2 -he pinionsl l and: the gear wheel 8 turn idly, as in, the usual sun and planet gear wheel mechanism. Hence, there is no transferof power from thedriving gear wheel 8 to the power transmitting element 1 As hereinbefore stated, when current is supplied. to the magnetizing winding 23, however, theforce of attraction between, the field; piece lfiand thearmature member 17 oyercomes that of the spring 29, resulting in the engagement of the cooperating frictional clutchsurfaces and the consequent locking ofthe pinions 11. lVhen the gear wheel 8 is now rotated, the power transmission element 1 is rigidly secured to the driving shaft 4: permitting a transfer of power from one to the other.

In Eigsi 5 and 6; isshown an alternative field construction 66, wherein a plurality of polar projections 67 are positioned in the space intermediate thefianges 21 and 22 and are secured at their. inner ends in perforations :68 formed in-the base 18 of the field construction 66 by clamping-plate construction 69. The polar projections 67 may be energized by magnetizing windings 71.

The windings -7 1 are connected in seriescircuit relation by connectors 72 in such manner that successive polar projections are oppositely magnetized. When such condi- "tion obtains, themagnetic flux passes from the end of one polar projection through the air-gap between itself and the armature l7, thence through the armature 17 and the air-gap between itself and the end portion of the next succeeding 'polar projection, to the end portion of saidsucceeding polar projection. The. flux is thus caused to traverse a circuit which reduces to a minimum same as that for the preceding figures.

While I have described a specific form of 'my invention in detail and while Ijhave pointedout certain of the most obvious principles and purposes and details constructi'on thereofpl do not intend that the language employed in the following claims shall be limited to the precise features described, but I intend that the claims shall be construed to'cover all combinations which are literally included in the language thereof, when read in connection with the prior art regardless of the details and functions mentioned in the description or illustrated in the drawing.

I claim:

1. In combination, a shaft, a field piece comprising a magnetizable member and a magnetizing winding, congentrically mounted re. emb r ne t y i fi d t sea see in such ner as toibe; movable to yard and away fro said 'poleface', two fi'iction el'e one carried byi tlie ariiiatureme her and o d-11 name y xed rbi 9 and spacing members ,supplem ntal toth'e away from said face, tfwofriotion e18: ments, onecarrled by the armature member I we. 6 am d in l t e y: fi ed p, sition, and non ma netiza ble sp ibing members supplemental to t e friction lenie'ntsc arrieil by said armature for preventingcontact be? tween the latter member and said pole face.

' 3.. The combination of a rotatetie'sham an armature member splined oireacli an electro -magnet surrounding the shaftand adapted to act upon the armature member to move. it in one direction along the shaft,

a spring engaging the shaft independently of. the magnet and tending to move the armature memberalong the shaft in the direction opposite to that aforesaid, means carr ed by the shaft for limiting the last said all movement, and annular. friction elements adiptea'te bebrought into engagement by th st and m vemen o h 'a i intur member, one of the said elements be ng car ried by the armature member and the other being mounted in liiged relation to the magnet and both of the said elements being lo- I cated outside of the field ofniagnetic'action. 4;. The combination of a rotatable shaft,

an deem-magn su u n the haft a d adapted, to act upon the; armature member I o mo it ne di 'e t n along h eheft a spring engaging the shaft independently of the magnet and tending to' move the armature member along the shaft in the direction oppositefto that aforesaid, axially adjustable means carried by the shaft for limiting the last sa d movement, and annular friction elements adapted tobe brgughtinto -1 engagement by the first'said movement of the armature member, one of the said-elements being carried by the armature member and the other being mounted in fixed rela tion to the magnet and both of the said elements being located outside of the field of magnetic action.

5. The combination of a rotatable shaft, an armature member splined on the shaft, an electro-magnet surrounding the shaft and an armature member splined onthe shaft, 5

adapted to act upon the armature member to move itin' one direction along the shaft, a spring in the annular space between the magnet and the shaft and tending to move the armaturemember along the shaft in the direction opposite to that aforesaid, axially adjustable means carriedby the shaft for limiting the last said movement, and annular friction elements adapted to be brought into engagement by the first said movement of the armature member, one of the said elements being carried by the armature memher and the other being mounted in fixed relation to the magnet andboth of the said elements being located outside of the field of magnetic action.

6. The combination of a rotatable shaft, an armature member 'splined onthe shaft, an'electro-magnet surrounding the shaft and adapted to act upon the armature member to move it inone direction along the'shaft, a spring engaging the'shaft' independently of the magnet and tending to move the armature member along theshaft in the directionfopposite to that aforesaid, means carried by the shaft for limiting the last said movement, annular friction elements adapted to be brought into engagement by the first said movement of the armature member, one of the said elements being carried by the armature member and the other being mounted in fixed relation to the magnet and both of the said elements being located outside'of the field of magnetic action, and means for effecting axial adjustment between the armature member and the friction element carried thereby so as to change the frictional engagement without changing the relation between the armature member and the magnet. i

7. In combination, an electro-magnet comprising a field piece having a pole face and a cooperating armature member, a shaft for rotating said armature member, the latter being slidably -mounted on said shaft for motion toward and away from said field piece, a cylindrical member threaded to said armature member, the outer surface thereof being conical in form and constituting one element of a clutch mechanism, said field piece having projecting means forming a co- 1 tiperating clutch element, the surface of said armature member opposite said pole face being provided with a projecting ring formed with transversely extending slots, the cylindrical member being provided with an inwardly extending flange, engaging said projecting ring and provided with slots registering with the slots of'the ring, and key members positioned in said registering slots.

8. The combination of a rotatable shaft, an armature'member splined on the shaft, an electro-magnet adapted to act upon the armature member to move it in one direction along the shaft, a spring engaging the shaft and tending to move the armature member in one direction along the shaft in the-direction opposite to that aforesaid, annular friction elements adapted to be brought into engagement by the first said movement'of the ar mature member, one of the said elements being carried by the armature member and the other being'mounted in fixed relation to the magnet, means supplemental to the friction elements for limiting the first said movement of the armature member, and means being slidably mountedfon said shaft for motion toward and away from said field piece, a ring having 1ts nner surface 1n threaded engagement with, sald armature member and its outer'surface in the form of a cone constltuting one element of aclutch V mechanism, said field piece being extended to form a cooperating element for the clutch mechanism, means supplemental to the said. clutch elements for limiting the longitudinal movement of said armature member, and means for determining, at will, the air-gap between said field piece and said armature member. 7 7

10. In combination, an electro-magnet comprising a field piece having a pole face and a cooperating armature member, a shaft for rotating said armature member, the lat- .ter being slidably mounted on said shaft for motion toward and away from said field piece, a ring having its inner surface in threaded engagement with said armature member and its outer surface in the form of a cone constituting one element of a clutch mechanism, said field piece being extended to form a cooperating element for the clutch mechanism, meanssupplemental to the same clntch elements for limiting the axial move-- ment of said armature member, and a rod resiliently mounted on said armature memher for indicating the air-gap between the latter member and the pole face. i

JOSEPHv W. THROPP. 

